Vocabulary: Vocations

Common occupations. Almost all of these are unmarked masculine nouns, except the few that have modified forms for females. I assume, though I should definitely confirm such a basic thing, that the words can be applied as-is for females too (e.g., मेरा नर्स / मेरी नर्स both work, based on if your nurse is male or female).

It seems like this is one of those cases of ingrained sexism you often find in Hindi.

Nouns

• मुनीमaccountant

• अभिनेता, अभिनेत्रीactor, actress

• राजदूतambassador

• कारीगरartisan

• कलाकारartist

• खज़ांचीbank teller

• व्यवसायीbusinessman/businesswoman

• बढ़ईcarpenter

• हलवाईconfectioner

• नर्तकीdancer feminine

  There's also नर्तक, the masculine form.

• राजनायकdiplomat

• चिकित्सक, डाक्टरdoctor

• चालक, ड्राइवरdriver

• अभियंताengineer

• किसान, कृषकfarmer

• मालीgardener

• नाईhairdresser

• जौहरीjeweler

  In addition to being a cognate (in my opinion at least), this was the name of a favorite hotel ("The Johri") in Jaipur's Johri Bazaar (Jeweller's Market).

• न्यायधीशjudge

• मज़दूरlaborer

  I often confuse this word with मज़बूर (forced), which seems to have obvious etymological overlap.

• वक़ीलlawyer

• डाकियाmailman

• मिस्त्रीmechanic

• व्यापारीmerchant

  In need of a good way to differentiate this from व्यवसायी.

• संगीतकारmusician

• नर्सnurse

  It's just straight-up the English word.

• खिलाड़ीathlete/player

  See also: खेलना, to play

• पुलिस अधिकारीpolice officer

  The first word is obviously just "police", but I thought it was interesting that buried in the second word is "धिकार" – "shame" – prefixed with "अ-", as in "without" (in the same way that, say, "amoral" is the opposite of "moral" in English).

  I'm not saying the etymology is implying police are without shame: taken as a whole, "अधिकार" just means "authority."

• कुम्हारpotter

  Interesting that "Kumar" is a common surname in Hindi, as "Potter" is fairly common in English.

• राष्ट्रपतिpresident

  Literally: "Nation Husband". Weird, but I guess kind of makes sense? Would they change this if India ever had a female president? (Could India ever?)

• प्रधानमंत्रीprime minister

  As you'd hope: प्रधान means "prime/head/chief", मंत्री means "minister."

• प्रकाशकpublisher

• विक्रेताsalesman

• मूर्तिकारsculptor

• सुरक्षा कर्मचारीsecurity guard

  I put the translation as "security guard", but while सुरक्षा does mean "security", कर्मचारी just means "employee."

• दुकानदारshopkeeper

• गायिकाsinger feminine

  Like नर्तकी / नर्तक, there is also गायक for the masculine form.

  Take note of the difference between this word, which has गाना – to sing – as its root, and संगीतकार, which has संगीत – music – as its root.

• विद्यार्थीstudent

  विद्या = knowledge, अर्थ = meaning.

  Feels kind of redundant (I would have expected the compound word to be, say, "knowledge + seeker" or something) but unless I'm missing something ... there you have it.

• दर्ज़ीtailor

• अध्यापिकाteacher feminine

  अध्यापक for the masculine form.

• चोरthief

  Mumbai has a चोर बाज़ार, "thief's market."

• पर्यटकtourist

• धोबीwasherman

  From धोना, to wash.

• लेखिकाwriter feminine

  Again, लेखक for masculine form.

  From लिखना, to write.